Twenty Eventful Years of the Oregon Woman's Christian Temperance Union 1880- 1900
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-// /,f/ - . Twenty Eventful Years OF THE Oregon Woman's Christian Temperance Union 1880- 1900 Statistical, Historical and Biographical Portraits of Prominent Pioneer Workers LUcIA H. FAXON ADDI'rON National Organizer and Lecturer State Historian ALL EIGHTS EESEEVED GOTSHALL PRINTING COMPANY Portland, Oregon. 1904 Cc7tgJnq4 DEDICATION. With tender love I dedicate this little book to my com- rades of the Multnomah County Executive, who, by their loyalty and loving confidence, have cheered the heart and strengthened the hands of the author. LUCIA H. FAXON ADDITON. / INTRODUCTION. in sending this littlevolume forth uponitsmission we bespeak for it a most hearty welcome from the public at large and from the White Ribbon Sisterhood, particu- larly of Oregon, coming as it does from the facile pen of Mrs. Lucia Faxon Additon, who of all our Oregon work- ers, is best fitted to write a history of these Twenty Eventful Years, since in all this time she has been in the vanguard of all efforts tending towards the making of temperance sen- timent. \T0one, unaccustomed to writing, can imagine the im- mense amount of labor and patient painstaking research re- quired to glean the facts contained between these covers. For this is no fairy tale or idle dream of a vivid imagina- tion, but well authenticated statements of actual work and workers accomplished in the face of difficulties and apathy of public opinion which would have daunted less heroic or determined soldiers than those enlisted in this peaceful war- fare for God and I-Tome and Native Land. The author has not relied upon hei memory in writing this history, in fact many circumstances which shedistinctlyrecollects,but which were not matters of record, were omitted, it being her aim to have all statements substantiated.In this she was materially aided by the many scrap books which she has made of clippings of W. C. T. U. work culled from the daily pre;s during the years of history making, many of these articles being written by herself in her capacity as news- paper correspondent. To the best of our knowledge she has the only complete file of state minutes in Oregonthese, with the White Ribboner, have been a most efficient help in securing material. The author, Mrs. Additon, is not only one of the best- known women in Oregon, but her fame as an efficient tem- V OREGON W. C. T. U. perance worker, and enthusiastic W. C. T. U. lecturer and organizer, extends from California's golden shore to the rock-bound coast of old Atlantic. A daughter of Massa- chusetts, reared in the shadow of cultured Boston, she was well and favorably known in the musical circles of that music center of America before she turned her face West- ward and her heart toward the deeper meaning of life. In point of heredity she is well-born, her father, Lucius Faxon, was a descendant from sturdy, English ancestry, who came to America in 1647.They were advocates of religion and liberty, possessing rare excellence of character. Nobleness of purpose was handed down from generation to generation.Mr. Faxon was unswerving in his integrity, clear in his thinking and possessing a remarkable business ability.From her father, Mrs. Additon inherits her busi- ness qualifications, but her love of books comes from her gentle, quiet mother.Her first literary effort (outside of school work) was at 14 years of age, when her father (who was Superintendent of their Sabbath School) came to her with a story he had found, which he wanted dramatized, and set her at it.It was done and the drama was a part of the Sunday School Christmas prOgramme. Mrs. Additon, speaking of her childhood's home life, says:"I dearly love my old New England home, recollec- tions of which are filled with naught but love and happiness. No mother could be better, or sweeter, or purer than mine, and no father could set a better example to his children. There was no arbitrary force used to enforce obedience, but there was an all-pervading influence, at once pure and godly, helping us all to do what was right.The family altar fire was never dim, and every child took part, read- ing their verses in turn, and at night, after tea, we were all gathered roind the organ in the library, and sang the chants and songs we loved.Thus the little ones were put to bed every night with a song on the lips and love in the heart. The Faxons were a musical race.The children were never compelled to go to church, yet everyone dearly loved to do so.My parents were filled with a quiet, holy faith vi TWENTY EVENTFUL YEARS that they carried out in their lives, teaching by example 'That all religion was life and the life of religion was to do good." For twenty years Mrs. Additon has been one of the foremost leaders in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Oregon, her special line of work being in the La- bor Department. She has made a deep and exhaustive study of social economics, and few, if any, are more competent to speak or write upon this most important subject. Possessed of a master mind, keen intellect, forceful logic, she is recog- nized as a leader in every good and useful work.She is far-sighted and practical in her plans, and her methods have brought repeated successes to her co-workers in the many departments of the W. C. T. U., for her active brain is never content with a single line of work. As a public speaker she is logical and eloquent, her arguments clear-cut and con- vincing, while she holds the closest attention of the audience. Mrs. Additon is not only a brainy woman, but one of deep spirituality as well, and this characterizes all her writings. She is an acknowledged author of merit, particularly along Christian and philanthropic lines.A true philanthropist, her mother heart especially warms toward homeless girls, and many such have found homes under her hospitable roof. This love for young women induced her to found the Noon Rest for working girls in this city.In purely Christian effort Mrs. Additon is a powerful factor as well, and thus her name has become a household word, standing for all that is pure and noble. Surely the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Oregon has cause to be proud of its historian. FRANCES E. GOTSHALL. Publisher. vii THE AUTHOR'S FOREWORD. There has been a long-cherished desire to have in per- manent form the history of the origin and growth of the White Ribbon movement, and a request came to me, "Would I compile such a history?" This little book is the result of my faithful attempt to comply with the request.In searching the records one thing has impressed me very much, that the workers were not vain glorious. We only wish the doings of the local unions as well as state officers had been reported more in detail. It is deeply to be regretted that a few counties failed to respond to the call for the picture of their oldest pioneer. The majority, however, heartily, cordially rendered material aid to the increased value of the history. The choice names of the rank and file, of necessity omitted, far exceed in num- ber those mentioned, and all are worthy. No one will regret more than the author the absence of some faces grown dear to us all. We simply could not obtain them. Facts concerning our work in relation to aid rendered Ramabai were not found in the records. We all remember the W. C. T. U. was most active. We found an acknowl- edgment of our work in a leading philanthropic magazine and we append it: "Great credit is due the W. C. T. U., which has arranged the details of her trip.The Union is so admirably organized for work that no other friends of the cause could have planned the journey so systematically and insured so hearty a \velccme to the Pundita." This has reference not merely to Oregon, but to her trip in its entirety through the country. We also failed to find mention of our labors in behalf of the Keady law (local option). We can remember, however, the efforts made, and recall (from memory) a great meeting at Toledo, addressed ix TWENTY EVENTFUL YEARS by Narcissa White, held in a vacated saloon, driven out by the Keady law, which was speedily repealed or declared unconstitutional. Help for the suffering Armenians and the India famine was also rendered. If a file of the old Pacific Express could have been ob- tained many early facts would doubtless have been made plain. With allits defects and faults, this birdseye view of twenty years' work, with some mention of thirty or forty of the leaders of the state (out of hundreds deserving hon- orable mention) will, I feel sure, have a certain value as historic fact, and will show those outside the ranks that at least the "grand army of reform" has not been "sleeping on guard." The facts herein written are just as the records give them, and we have done the best we could with the material at hand.May it prove a fresh impetus to the work and workers. I bespeak for the book a warm welcome from the rank and file, whose blessed comradeship is one of the priceless possessions of my twenty-three years life in my adopted stateVvThere rolls the Oregon." LUCIA H. FAXON ADDITON.